Hey all,
Well, back to the gym today.
I didn't want to Go today.
But, I went anyway...
One hour on Arnold for a 679 calorie burn, then down to the exercise mat to do my sit-ups.
You see, I don't always want to be doing my workout.
Today was not an 'on fire' moment for me.
I got in there, I was tired starting.
I knew I needed to distract myself..so instead of listening to music,
I watched a Friends episode on one of the TV's they have placed around the gym.
It's the one where Rachel and Ross finally get back together after breaking up over the pros and cons list Ross wrote.
It was funny.
That lasted for quite a while, and then I finished out my workout on level 2.
Hence the lower than normal burn.
I walk down to the mat area.
I lay down.
And here is the conversation I had in my head.
"God , the ceiling is ugly."
"I don't want to do this."
"I don't want to exercise."
"Now I know why Jillian says she doesn't like to exercise."
"Now, Chris...Think of why you are doing this..."
"Okay, I exercise so I won't be fat, and so I can move around..."
'If I don't exercise, I will have to cut my food to portions that are ridiculous, just to lose weight!"
"I like food."
"If people only did what they wanted, the world would be a sorry place...this is why God gave us will power...to get us through the things we don't want to do."
"So, let's get these situps started."
So I do one set of 65...25 regular sit ups, 20 obliques and 20 lower abdominal crunches...It hurts..
There is a creepy looking bald guy on the bicycle next to the mats.
I start to wonder why there are so many bald people at the gym.
I don't think that many bald people are bald naturally.
I think they shave their heads, cause it looks cool or something.
The only problem is...there is nothing to catch their sweat....
So it just rolls down their face and onto the floor...
Okay, now I am stretching...I put my butt to the wall, so I ain't waving it in the air and saying howdy to people as they pass by...
Chick plops on to the mat next to mine...starts to stretch by putting her foot on my mat.
I just lay down and pretend she isn't there. She moves her foot.
Second set...still hurts....
Then I realize that I am only 70 situps away from 200.
There is some guy two mats down doing some sort of pike position sit up...looks like it hurts.
So I do 25, 10 and 10
I start doing my lower ab crunches....I am really pushing, cause it really hurts.
I see this girl all the way down staring at me...probably because every time I come up the mat is scooting back, but I am not stopping now.....
and....over 200...201 (one more to show my psyche who is boss).
I did it..over 200..not because I felt like it, but because I WILLED IT.
Haaaa take that negative voice in my head...(Or lazy voice)
Next thing is to get them done in under 5 minutes....one of my perfect 10 goals.
You see, It's all in the head.
I could have said " I don't feel like doing it..."
Then got up and left.
And felt crappy later, because I let myself down.
But I didn't..
When you are in the middle of a moment like that, it's a good time to remind yourself WHY you are doing this.
What you are getting in return for the effort expended.
I am happy with how far I've come, but I know from experience that contentment can lead to complacency.
And I have no intention of becoming complacent.
It's not how I roll.
So talk to yourself...reason with yourself.
Just don't start doing it out loud or people will look at you funny.
lol,
Hugs,
Chris
13 comments:
Amen, sister! I *love* how I feel after the workouts where I really have to grind it out. It's a great feeling to know that you can CHOOSE even if you don't FEEL like it. WTG on the situps!
I think we have so much more power than we realize.
I know what you mean about CHOOSING to do it even if you don't feel like it. I do two types of exercising for my Perfect 10 challenge, one is hard, one is easier. And today I thought all I had to do was the easy one and I would have completed my goals for this week.
But I looked at my chart, and realized I somehow goofed up, and in order to finish the week, I had to do them BOTH today... ACK!
And the argument started... but in the end I got 'em both done. And you are right, it felt good.
Loretta
=^..^=
I sure did enjoy your conversation with yourself! It was both amusing and inspiring. I will emulate you today at my gym. Thanks!
Job well done!
I always have to talk myself through things at the gym. I find that another thing that helps is people watching and making observations like you and the bald guys. One day I was watching these two guys at the gym totally competing to see who could do the most pull-ups-very entertaining.
A girl's gotta go whatever it takes and you are so right that you don't want to let yourself down.
HAHAH!! I loved your conversation with yourself. My brain works like that too (maybe not the willpower thing, but the random conversations about other people!)
I sometimes have to have a similar conversation with myself to get my butt out of bed some mornings. Will power is all that gets me through exercising sometimes.
Boy, that's the difference between trying to drop a little weight and really being committed to seeing this thing through to the end... the ability to get in there and gut out a workout when you're just not into it. WTG, Chris.
This was so fun to read. I told my trainer one day when he had me doing some sort of mat exercise that they should put something on the ceiling to entertain people. lol Great job!
Oh, Chris I have those days, too. They seem to just creep up. Why? I don't know. That's usually when I change my workouts.
The one thing that keeps me motivated is, if i do it there's nothing to beat myself up over. Having that off my plate, frees me in so many ways.
Chris, great blog. (as always) I have had those days too. Some days I pull through and come out the hero, and some times I wimp out and do the bare minimum. Right now I'm having a real tough time even making it to the gym with all of my morning (read all-day) sickness. Glad you are doing so well.
awesome post Chris.
200 situps. You certainly willed it. So if I get this right... it's all in your head. You just gotta push even more so when you think that's it.
This is what my daughter refers to when she says "mom, you just gotta dig deep."
Great post.
That is so funny about the bald people! Nowadays, I think it's so uncool to let yourself be bald on top and have hair on the sides and back that men shave their whole head. When I was younger and had only heard the term "skin head" and thought there was anti-semitism everywhere, I thought every bald guy I saw was a white supremacist!
Great job on conquering the ab crunches!
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